Sled.



J. 0. VAN AKEN.

SLED.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNI: 1,1912.

1 9 5 Patented June 2, 1914.

JOHN C. V'ANAKEIN, OF RIDGWAY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLED.

Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patentecl J une 2, 1914.

Applicaton filed J'une 1, 19121 Serial No. 701,035.

T0 aZZ w/wm it mag concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. VAN AKEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ridgway, in the county of Elkand State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new anduseful I1nprovements 111 Sleds, of which the following is aspecification, reference beng had theren to the aecompanying drawings.

This invention relates t0 slecls of the type having flexible runnersprovicled with n1eans for turning said runners laterally 'or the purposeof steering the sled, the same being in the nature of a modification ofthe eon struction shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,010,061granted to me October 1 1912.

The inventon has for its object te provicle improved steering means orlaterally flexing the runners whoh Will permit a wde range of rnovementwithout permitting any lost motion or looseness of the parts in anyposition, and without necessitating the use of 1nembers, other than theusual steering bar, which project beyond the normal outline of the sled.These and other objeets of the invention, together with 1neans wherebythe same may be carried into effect, Will best be understood from thefollowing clescription of one form or embod1nent thereoi illustrated inthe aecompanyng drawings. It will be understood, however, that theparticular constructon described and shown has been chosen forillustratve purposes merely, and that the invention may be ernbodiecl inother fornns without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

In saicl clrawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sled, partlybroken away, show ing the parts in normal position. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Iteferring to the drawings, 12 denotes the runners, preferably in theform of resilient steel bars of a suitable cross section. Sad runnersextencl parallel to one another and are eurved upwardly at theirforwarcl ends in the usual manner, said forward ends being conneeted bya cross bar 13 pivoted thereto at 29. The top 01 body 01 the sledcomprises a suitable platform 141- and a frame eomposed of sde bars '15,ahove and normally parallel to the runners 12, and rigidly conneeted attheir forward ends by a cross piece 16 innnedately above and parallel tothe bar 13. Said top or body as a whole is supported from the runners 12by a framework 17 of any sutable constructon.

'Ihe platform 14- is preferably provided with a :torwardly extenclingtongue 18 te Whieh is pvoted, as at 19, a link or strap 20 rigdlysecured, as by bolts 21 and 22, to a steerng bar 23 extencling crosswiseof the sled innnediately above the sicle bars 15. The steering bar 23and connectng bal 13 are operatively connected by 1neans preventingrelatve lateral 1nove1nents thereof in any poston, but pern1ittingrelative angular 1novement and relative sliding movement longitudinally01" the sled, so that as the steering bar 23 is nio"ed about the pivot19 the bar 13 will be moved laterally without, however, developing anylost 1notion between saicl two bars in any position thereol. T0 ths end,in the form 01 the invention shown, the following construction isprovided. The bolt 2-2 eonnecting the link er strap 20 with the steeringbar 23 is rotatvely mounted in said steering bar, and is providedbeneath the same with a head 2 1 having a gudng opening 25 therethrough.The bar 13 is provided with a rearwardly extended portion in the. formof a stern 26 guicled in the opening 25, and having a flattenecl l1ead27 rigidly secured to the bar 13, as by rvets 28.

In operaton, as the steering bar 23 is turned upon the pivot 19 it ismoved bodly transversely 01 the sled on an are eoncentre wth saiclpivot, carrying with it the stern 26 and bar 13, and laterally flexingthe runners, the bolt 22 turnng in the steering bar 23 to provicle forthe relative angular move 1nent of the two bars and the stem 26 slidingin the opening 25 to accommodate the rela tive 1novement thereoflongitudinally of the sled, said angular and longitudnal move- 1nentsbeing caused by the curved path in which said steering bar travels.

1/Vith the constructon shown and cleseribed it will be observed that thelateral 1nove1nent of the steering bar, and consequently of the runners,is not limited by the angular position of said bar, so that a wide rangeof movement may be given thereto. This is for the reason that the head 21 turns freely in the steering bar and the stem 26 slides freely in thehead, while said stem 26 1nay be extended or lengthened toward the rearof the sled to any desirecl degree with out interference with the sledconstruction, and without presenting an unsightly appearance 0rprojecting beyond the front edge of the sled proper. Moreover it will beobserved tliat tl1e operative connection between the steerng loer andrunners is a positiveone in all lateral positions or the parts,inasniueh as the engagement of the stem 26 in tbe guide opening 25serves to prevent relative lateral 1nove1nent of the bars 13 and 23, sothat there is no lost 1n0tion whether the steering bar be in its normalcentral pesition or in r turned position, tl1us insuring the reliablecontrol of the sled through the steering bar at all ti1nes. This pro-"si0n overeornes an objection to certain '0r1ns 0 sleds of this generaltype as heretofore constructed, in wbieh the 1neans connecting thesteering bar and runners are 0f such a character that in order to permitthe desired range of movement of the parts it is necessary s0 teconstruct the connections that when in normal position a certain a1neuntof lost 1n0ti0n is prmitted, thereby rnziking it impossible to hold tl1erunners steady by means of the steering bar.

Having thus deserbed 1ny invention, I claim:

1. A sled eomprising parallel, laterally flexible runners, a barconneeting the forward ends of said runners, 2L top 0r body supportedfrorn said runners, a steering bar having a pivotal eonnection with saidtop 01' body, and Ineens eonnectng said steering bar and connecting bar,said means e0rnprising a stem rgidly secured t0 said connecting bar,

extending rearwardly therefro1n, and bedily momble therewithtransversely of said top 01 body, and a head pivoted t0 said steeringbar and in whch said sern is guided f0r longitudinal movement.

2. A sled comprising parallel, laterally fiexible runners, a barconnecting tlie forward ends of said runners, 2 top supported I"r01nsaid runners, a link pivoted te said top, a steering bar, b0lts rigidlyconnecting said steering bar and link, om of said b0lts being rotatably1n0unted in said steering bar and being provided beneath the sa1ne witha head having an opening therethr0ugh, and a stem rigidly seeured tosaid cennecting bar, extendng rearwardly therefron1, and slidablyengaging nhe opening in said head, said stem being bodily movable withsaid connecting bar transversely of said top or body.

In testirnony whereof I afiix n1y signa ture, in presence of tWowitnesses.

JOHN C. VAN KEN.

\Vitnesses MAY R. CURRY, VVM. A. IIAMILTON.

C0ples 01 this patent mey bc obtained or five cents each, by addressng'che Commsioner ef laccntn, Wuhlngton, D. 0."

